Will he or will he not be back in 2022? That’s the question surrounding Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver DJ Chark Jr., who is slated to become a free agent this offseason. While money won’t probably be an issue — the Jags will have around $60 million in cap space — it’s not a given that the former LSU Tiger will return to Jacksonville for a fifth season.
First, it’s uncertain if Chark wants to re-sign. It seems like he scrubbed anything related to the Jaguars from his Instagram account. Also, the new coaching staff may want to move on from him. Keep in mind that the 2018 second-round pick is coming off an ankle fracture he suffered in Week 4 of the 2021 season, and that might complicate negotiations. If the Jags and Chark can’t strike a deal, here are five options to replace him in free agency.
No. 1 option to replace Jaguars WR DJ Chark – Cedrick Wilson.
Out of all the wide receivers on this list, Cedrick Wilson may be the most overlooked, and that’s because the Dallas Cowboys, the team he’s been with over the last four seasons, is loaded with talent on the offensive side of the ball. For starters, Dak Prescott is of the top quarterbacks in the league and he has no shortage of weapons in the passing game, starting with CeeDee Lamb, who led the team with 79 catches for 1,102 receiving yards in 2021.
But even without Lamb, the Boys’ offense is pretty stacked. There’s Amari Cooper (more on him later), Michael Gallop, and tight end Dalton Schultz. But in spite of the surplus of talent Dallas had in 2021, Wilson still caught 45 receptions for 602 yards with six touchdowns. In fact, the Cowboys’ aerial attack didn’t miss a beat once Gallup went down with an injury in part because of Wilson.
Both Wilson and Gallup are set to become free agents but the latter may not be available by the time the 2022 season starts and the former has shown he can be a solid weapon.
No. 2 option to replace Jaguars WR DJ Chark – Davante Adams.
Davante Adams has been one of the top wide receivers in the NFL over the last few years. Cooper Kupp was the best in 2021, earning the triple crown — NFL leader in receiving yards, receptions, and touchdowns but Adams was no slouch, hauling in 123 receptions for 1,553 yards with 11 touchdowns.
A second-round selection in 2014, Adams has spent all his career with the Green Bay Packers but this may be the year he might get to test free agency. Why? He wants to get paid like the premiere receiver he is, and rightfully so. The former Fresno State Bulldog wants to sign a contract that pays him an average of $30 million per year. Is that too much? Probably but NFL players have a limited window to maximize their earnings and there will surely be a team that will pay him what he wants or close to it.
After all, players are worth what teams are willing to pay them and if he feels good about getting the contract he wants, he should go for it. However, the Jaguars shouldn’t be the one team that pays him. $30 million is half of the cap space they will have at their disposal and even if they find a way to craft a deal in a way that his cap hit is minimal at first, the bill will come at due time. All they can do is postpone the payment.
Is Adams an elite wide receiver? Sure. Does he deserve to get paid $30 million a year? You bet. However, the Jags should sit this one out.
No. 3 option to replace Jaguars WR DJ Chark – Odell Beckham.
Odell Beckham jr. is one of this writer’s favorite players in this free-agency cycle but he’s far from the only option the Jaguars will have. Still, he’s showing that he can play at a high level under the right circumstances.
The Jaguars already passed up the chance to sign Beckham in the middle of the 2021 season when the Cleveland Browns released him. At the time, Jacksonville had top priority in the waiver wire and could have claimed him if they had wanted to. But the teams’ brass opted not to and he joined the Los Angeles Rams, who wil face off against the Cincinnati Bengals in this year’s Super Bowl.
Although Beckham joined the Rams late in the season, he was praised by teammate Cooper Kupp for his ability to quickly pick up the playbook. Also, the wide receiver has been an integral part of Los Angeles’ offense during their playoff run. The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver only had one100-yard game during the 2021 campaign and that came against the San Francisco 49ers in the Conference Championship Game.
Nevertheless, Beckham’s impact in Los Angeles can’t be overstated. He came down with several key receptions against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Niners in the postseason. The Rams may find a way to re-sign him but he’s likely to hit the open market. Based on his recent performance, he will probably have a robust market for his services. Regardless of his asking price, the Jaguars had better place a bid for him.
No. 4 option to replace Jaguars WR DJ Chark – Amari Cooper.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper has been a staple of the Cowboy’s offense since he arrived in the middle of the 2018 season. However, his value has steadily plummeted due to the presence of Michael Gallup, Cedrick Wilson, CeeDee Lamb, and tight end Dalton Schultz.
Back when Dallas acquired Cooper from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a first-round selection, he became the Boys’ number one receiver but he’s no longer that player and he could be a cap casualty this offseason. Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones isn’t pleased with the four-time Pro Bowlers’ performance and the team could free up $16 million in cap space with a $6 million dead cap hit if he’s released.
The Cowboys would surely welcome any cap space, so it looks like cutting ties with Cooper is a realistic possibility. If that happens, the Jaguars should work the phones and pursue him in free agency. While the 2015 first-round pick is still an above-average wide receiver, he won’t likely get a contract that pays him close to $20 million a year. Something along the lines of $16-17 million per year might make more sense from the Jags’ standpoint.
Cooper needs to adjust his contract expectations this offseason. While he won’t get paid peanuts, he shouldn’t ask for a top-market deal. Otherwise, he might get disappointed. Still, he could give the Jags’ passing game a boost if his salary demands aren’t unrealistic.
No. 5 option to replace Jaguars WR DJ Chark – Allen Robinson.
The Jaguars once let Allen Robinson walk away in free agency. At the time, he was coming off a torn ACL he sustained in Week 1 of the 2017 season, so the team thought it was better to part ways with him. However, their passing game took a hit and the former Nittany Lion went on to thrive with the Chicago Bears.
Robinson is once again a free agent and it’s unlikely that he will return to the Windy City for three reasons. First, he got the franchise tag last offseason, and getting it for the second consecutive year might be cost-prohibitive for the Bears. Also, Darnell Mooney has slowly become the number one option in Chicago’s passing game. Last but not least, there’s a new sheriff in town, head coach Matt Eberflus.
Both the team and Robinson may want a fresh start, so a split seems possible. If the wide receiver becomes a free agent, the Jags should consider a reunion. It’s true that the organization already let him leave once but that was a different regime, one that didn’t think he could be part of their future after getting hurt. Although the 2014-second-round pick is coming off an unproductive season, some of it was due to getting COVID-19 and the inconsistency at the quarterback position in Chicago.
When healthy, Robinson is a playmaker, and he could help the Jaguars’ offense. Sure, head coach Doug Pederson would need to convince him that things have changed since his departure. and it would still be a long shot but it’s one that may be worth trying.